In Haryana, leaders of the BJP and its ally Jannayak Janta Party have been increasingly facing opposition in villages and rural areas over the central government’s policies. The BJP’s sitting MP and candidate from Rohtak, Arvind Sharma, was also witness to people’s rage amid his campaign at Sisrauli village last month. 

On April 25, Sharma retreated from a public meeting without addressing people, as commotion ensued after farm leader Monika Nayan took the mic to ask him questions. Even before the Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Rohtak district president could complete her questions, the BJP workers took away the mic from her, and, subsequently, Sharma left.  

So what questions did Monica have for Sharma? And what happened that day? What are the people’s grievances? Newslaundry took the battered road to the Jat and Dalit majority Sisrauli village to speak to Nayan and other locals about the incident, the poll issues and the reason for their anger towards the BJP.    

Monica told Newslaundry, “Mud and drain water is all over the streets and there is a very old foul-smelling pond among the Dalit houses in the village. We have been demanding that it be converted into a park but nothing happened. There were many questions we wanted to ask but we were not allowed.”

She also pointed to the police action against farmers during protests. “The way the government showed dictatorship during the farmers’ movement. There were people from this village who were sitting on the streets during the movement. Where was Sharma then? And when his government was firing tear gas shells. Today he is asking for votes? My intention was not to protest, but to ask these questions.”

The farm leader and several other locals claimed that Sharma had never visited their village or initiated any development work over the past five years. On her pictures with Congress leaders, being widely shared on social media, Nayan said, “I was active in the farmers’ movement. Not only Hooda, I met many BJP leaders. I have pictures with them too.”

However, the BJP office-bearers called “people’s anger” the Congress’s “ploy”. Local BJP leader Bhup Singh said the Congress is “deliberately creating such an atmosphere that there is anger towards BJP among the villagers. The day the results come, you will see that BJP will get more votes in these villages”.

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